Phillies trade for Twins flamethrower Jhoan Duran

CHICAGO -- The stakes have never been higher for the Phillies.

If you needed proof, you only needed to look at the trade they made Wednesday at Rate Field. The Phils shipped top 100 prospects Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait to Minnesota for closer Jhoan Duran, who immediately and significantly improved a bullpen that has been a weakness since the beginning of the season and has been the front office’s top priority heading into Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline.

TRADE DETAILS
Phils receive: RHP Jhoan Duran
Twins receive: C Eduardo Tait, RHP Mick Abel

It is the biggest Deadline deal that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has made in five seasons with the organization.

“It’s huge,” Bryce Harper said. “He has faith in our ability, in this team, to win games. We’ve got a really good chance to win a World Series this year.”

“Whenever you make a splash for a high caliber player, that means something,” Kyle Schwarber said. “Personally, I remember ‘16 when [the Cubs] traded for Aroldis Chapman. It just kind of lifted the spirits of everyone. And I feel like that’s going to be the same thing.”

The Phillies are still pursuing a right-handed bat to help their offense, sources said. Twins center fielder Harrison Bader could be a fit. There are other bats available like Luis Robert Jr.

The Phils have the prospects and the time to make it happen.

“We’re not done,” Dombrowski said. “We’re not done talking. The Deadline isn’t over. We’ll just see what ends up happening. I really don’t know. They’re tough to acquire, too, right now.”

But at least they have Duran to pitch the ninth. Dombrowski and manager Rob Thomson immediately named Duran the closer.

“He should be,” Harper said. “I mean, the numbers don’t lie. He’s one of the best in baseball. He’s in the game, it’s usually over.”

The hard-throwing right-hander is 6-4 with a 2.01 ERA and 16 saves this season. His four-seam fastball averages 100.2 mph. He throws a splitter, curveball and sweeper, generating strikeouts and ground balls.

He’s nasty.

He also isn’t a rental. Duran is under team control through the 2027 season, which explains why the Phillies parted with Tait and Abel to get him.

“We just thought he was the best guy out there,” Dombrowski said. “A lot of clubs had been talking, if we were going to acquire their closer … they were asking for [Phils' top prospect] Andrew Painter. We decided that we weren’t going to trade Andrew, at least in this trade.”

Dombrowski later said that Painter will not be traded before the Deadline.

Tait (No. 56 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline) turns 19 on Aug. 27. He was recently promoted to High-A Jersey Shore. He is an excellent hitter with big-time power, but he needs time to develop, especially behind the plate. Abel (No. 92) returned to the Top 100 list following a big bounce-back season. He made a scintillating big league debut on May 18 (nine strikeouts, no walks in six scoreless innings). He went 2-2 with a 5.04 ERA in six starts before being sent back to Triple-A, but he has pitched well recently for the IronPigs.

If Abel gets it together, he could be good.

So could Tait.

But the Phillies don’t have time to wait. They want to win the World Series this year, especially with Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suárez set to become free agents, and the core in their early 30s.

It was difficult envisioning a path with the bullpen in its current state. It had faltered for the Phils in the 2023 NLCS and 2024 NLDS. The front office entered this year hoping right-handers Jordan Romano and Joe Ross could help replace Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez, who left in free agency. But Romano and Ross, who is on the injured list, have struggled.

It pushed them into a drive to find legitimate bullpen help.

Dombrowski said the Phillies and Twins have been talking for days, but everything heated up on Wednesday morning. They exchanged multiple offers, but they finally settled on Abel and Tait. Minnesota liked the fact that Abel could join their rotation soon, if not immediately.

“I really didn’t think that this one was possible a couple days ago,” Dombrowski said.

The Phillies’ bullpen should look completely different in a couple weeks. Duran will join the team on Friday. David Robertson could join the bullpen as early as Tuesday, although it is unclear if he will. He is making his third appearance on Friday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

José Alvarado is nearing the end of an 80-game suspension for PEDs. He is expected back on Aug. 19, although he is ineligible for the postseason.

So, by mid-August, the Phillies could have Duran, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, Robertson, Alvarado and Tanner Banks as the first six arms in the eight-man bullpen.

It leaves two spots for Romano, Ross and others. Taijuan Walker could take a spot, once Aaron Nola rejoins the rotation in the middle of August. The Phillies will move at least one starter into the bullpen in the postseason -- maybe earlier -- because they will not need five starters. Jesús Luzardo could be the guy.

“It obviously sends a message,” Strahm said. “But what this clubhouse has been through since `22, we don’t need a message. We know what we’ve got to do and whatever they give us or don’t, we’re gonna go do it.”

But having Duran definitely helps.